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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25690612">Magic</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/alecmagnuslwb/pseuds/alecmagnuslwb'>alecmagnuslwb</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>DCU (Comics)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Romantic Fluff, john cares about people and things a lot more than he wants anyone to believe, references to other comic characters</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 07:02:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,463</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25690612</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/alecmagnuslwb/pseuds/alecmagnuslwb</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>To him Zatanna doesn’t just have magic, she is magic.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>John Constantine/Zatanna Zatara</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Magic</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Writer’s month day 3, prompt: Magic</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“So, this girl you’re taking me to see she’s got magic like you?” the kid Constantine just saved from certain death asks as they wait under a bus stop awning.</p><p>Constantine flicks open his lighter trying and failing to light the damp cigarette hanging from his lips. He stuffs his hand in his pocket pulling the pack out and trying to find one that isn’t soaked, but they’re all a lost cause. Briefly he considers using his magic to fix them, but he doesn’t want to risk lighting this awning on fire or something. His magic has been so haywire since Faust blasted him with something while protecting this kid he’s pretty sure any magic use will have the adverse effect of what he wants.</p><p>Which is why they’re waiting for a bus instead of him just casually portaling into Zatanna’s living room like he would any other day.</p><p>“Zatanna Zatara doesn’t just have magic, she is magic,” John says pulling the kid up by his jacket from where he’s slumped down into the seat. He pushes him toward the bus when it comes to a stop paying for them both and then guiding him to sit in the back.</p><p>John settles on one side, the kid disgruntledly sitting next to him.</p><p>“Sounds pretty fucking corny to me,” he grumbles crossing his arms and looking out the window away from John.</p><p>“Yeah, well once you meet a goddess you put some respect on her name,” Constantine says as he leans back in the seat keeping a watchful eye on the other people on the bus and their surroundings. It doesn’t feel likely that Faust followed them not after the last blast of decent magic Constantine hit him with, but he stays on alert.</p><p>The rest of the ride is quiet and John nudges the kid when the bus comes to halt at their stop a few blocks away from Zee’s place. They walk briskly, the rain slowing down a bit as they go.</p><p>He feels the wards around Zatara mansion shimmer across his skin as he passes through them then sees them go red at the edges when the kid passes through. He knocks three times in quick succession on the front door even though the red alert has already told her someone’s there.</p><p>Zee swings open the door her fighting face on, one hand already lit up with electricity that she quells as soon as she realizes it’s John.</p><p>“You’re wet,” she says reaching up her hand that was just electrified and brushing the damp hair from his eyes. The kid clears his throat from behind him and Zee takes note moving her hand down to grip at John’s lapel and leaning past him to look at the boy. “And you brought a teenager. He must be who set off my wards.”</p><p>“Yeah, I was minding my own business and caught Faust trying to kill him, targeting him specifically. Thought I’d be nice and save him,” he explains feigning disinterest. He reaches up to circle his fingers around her wrist. “That’s why I’m here.”</p><p>“That’s the only reason, huh?” she smiles stepping back causing his hand to drop and gestures for them both to come inside.</p><p>“Kcol eht rood, nehtgnerts the sdraw,” she says the door slamming closed and locking tightly. She raises up her hands a wave of warm blue light coming from here fingers. John feels the wards increase in strength. She reaches over touching his neck tenderly and placing her other hand on the kids’ shoulder. “Emoclew meht ni.”</p><p>John feels the warm familiar rush of Zee’s magic flowing through his veins as a wave of magic washes over the property settling on his skin, he absolutely loves it. The kid however jumps back.</p><p>“What the hell was that?” he says making a face.</p><p>“Keying you into the wards so they don’t recognize you as an enemy again, John just needed an upgrade,” she smiles patting him on the cheek and stepping back.</p><p>“So you’re the magical goddess, huh?” the kid says eyeing her up and down. He’s no older than 17 so John can understand why his eyes linger a little too long on her fishnets, John’s have plenty of times over the years, but he puts a stop to it walking over and tapping him under the chin.</p><p>“Eye’s up,” he says with a scowl. “Remember what I said about respect.”</p><p>Zatanna just laughs.</p><p>“You told him I’m a goddess?” she teases her nose squishing up with a cute little smile.</p><p>Constantine is absolutely endeared, but he has an image to uphold in front this kid so he just smirks.</p><p>“Oh, hush,” he says brushing it off. She knows him better though, winking at him once and smiling. She turns crossing her arms and looking at the kid.</p><p>“Alright,” she pauses leaving him room to give his name. The kid just bristles. She looks at John with a raised eyebrow in question and he just shrugs. He tried to get a name out of him when they first met not even a two hours ago and came up empty handed.</p><p>“Look, I get you’re scared and you don’t know why what happened to you tonight happened, but we can’t figure out why it did if we don’t even know who you are,” she says meeting the boy’s eyes with a gentle smile. “You’re safe here.”</p><p>The kid hesitates for a moment before answering her. Amongst the many things that make Zatanna magic is the way people just feel at ease with her in mere seconds.</p><p>“David Simpson.”</p><p>Zatanna looks back at John.</p><p>“Any relation to Richie?” she asks and the kid shrugs.</p><p>“I don’t know any of my family, it was just me and mom for a long time and then she died and that’s that,” he says looking down at his feet. Zatanna and John give him matching sad smiles it’s probably better he doesn’t see.</p><p>“Okay, well David there’s food in the fridge,” she says gesturing towards the kitchen. “Take whatever you want and we’ll start figuring out why Faust is after you soon.”</p><p>The kid nods and lets out a quiet thanks as he rushes into the kitchen.</p><p>“If he’s connected to Richie somehow and he got some kid involved in some dumb shit he’s pulling,” John starts as Zatanna steps into his space.</p><p>“I know and we’ll figure it out,” she says softly. “First things first I need to take a look at you,” she says before whispering a quiet spell under her breath and hovering her hands over him.</p><p>“I’m fine Zee, we need to focus on the kid,” he says trying to brush her hands away, the mask of indifference falling away now that they’re alone.</p><p>“Nobody can get to him here,” she says giving him a stern look that stops his protests dead in their tracks. “And you’re not fine. You feel weird.”</p><p>John scoffs, “Well, that’s what every guy wants to hear from his lady.”</p><p>Zatanna rolls her eyes whether it’s over the audible scoff, the comment, his attempt to deflect her concern or all three he’s not sure. She keeps hovering her hands over him, her magic moving across his skin and into his bones, faintly he hears the sound of the microwave starting up in the kitchen.</p><p>“Faust hit you with a pretty hard blast of some sort of magic scrambling spell,” she says not really looking for him to respond just thinking out loud. She hums in thought for a moment before her hand stops directly over where the tattoo on his chest that she has the twin of on her own lies under his shirt.</p><p>“Teser,” she says slowly closing her eyes and focusing her energy on their connection. Another wave bursts through him this time even stronger as he feels his magic coming online again no longer feeling like an annoying, itchy hum under his skin like it has since the fight, but like the fiery burn it always is flickering just right under his fingertips.</p><p>“Thanks, luv,” he says when she opens her eyes leaning in to press a quick kiss to her cheek. The magic around them settles, it wasn’t an understatement when he told David that Zee doesn’t just do magic, she is magic; the proof is there every time he’s around her, under his skin and in these walls. From the kitchen he hears the toaster pop this time, clearly David is taking full advantage of Zee’s whatever you want statement.</p><p>“No problem,” she says patting him on the chest. Her soft smile morphs into a wicked smirk. “Now, want to go summon Richie against his will and kick his ass if we have to?”</p><p>John smirks right back, “Absolutely.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>tumblr: <a href="https://alecmagnuslwb.tumblr.com/">alecmagnuslwb</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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